Gallery, ReviewDitch This MagazineJanuary 30, 2019gallery, live, melbourne, Sidney Myer Music Bowl, Michael Kiwanuka, Mumford & Sons

Mumford & Sons + Michael Kiwanuka @ Sidney Myer Music Bowl 22-01-19

Gallery, ReviewDitch This MagazineJanuary 30, 2019gallery, live, melbourne, Sidney Myer Music Bowl, Michael Kiwanuka, Mumford & Sons

words by Maddie Vlismas // photos by Sarah Rix (@sarahrix)

Review

*“It’s hard to pick out any trace of the lads’ harmonies over the roaring of the crowd..”*

There’s a wonderful mix of people spread over the grassy hills of the Sidney Myer Music Bowl and families and youngsters alike are are swaying gracefully to the soft tones of the one and only Gretta Ray. I first came across the Aussie songstress when she won Triple J’s Unearthed High back in 2016 and she’s been taking over our airwaves ever since. She’s a true homegrown hero and the feeling of pride for our girl supporting a big international act is palpable. Sporting a pair of flared velvet pants and her signature front fringe, she seems so delicate and so innocent, singing of love stories while she flits about the stage like a fairy.

Michael Kiwanuka takes the stage and picks up the pace, getting the crowd to clap along with him to the bluesy track ‘Black Man in a White World’ that fittingly featured on the Netflix series The Get Down. Kiwanuka captures the crowd with his ability to switch between an upbeat, anthemic foot-stomper and a soft, soul-bearing ballad. He and his band flow into a series of solos which I imagine are totally improvised judging by the pure feeling written over their faces.

His voice is smooth and sweet like honey and as the sun begins to dip into the horizon I relax into the grass without a care, as if I don’t have to be up at 6am in the morning for work. As he takes a moment to thank Mumford & Sons for bringing him along on their tour I’m surprised to hear a British accent float through the speakers, expecting a smooth Southern US accent, like that of Leon Bridges.

Mumford and Sons stroll onto the stage and dive straight into their first song. It’s one that starts off soft and humble, but grows and grows and the audience rise to their feet from their comfortable spots on the grass (some more reluctantly than others- I’ve just worked a ten hour shift, yo). My friend Nina whispers to me, “I can’t wait until he really rips into the banjo,” and with that she sets a mood of suspense and nostalgia that remains for the entire night.

Marcus’ crooning voice and the muted colours of the sunset over the city skyline make it feel like a really special moment. The strings and brass sections are introduced for ‘Babel’ and the combination of their swooping melodies and the driving baseline makes me feel lively and free. Even if you don’t remember all the words, it’s impossible to forget the song’s great grand instrumental motifs.

“Let’s have a dance to this one,” Marcus whoops while Winston swaps his famed banjo for a wailing electric guitar for a few tracks from their second to last album Wilder Mind.

The lads bring out Gretta Ray for the tearjerker ‘Forever’ and the crowd is a brilliant sea of shining iPhone lights, speckled with the poor, old-school souls sporting lighters (and a single, very hot thumb). His course, husky voice is so distinctive and rich, and better yet, when meshed together with the pure, sweetness of Gretta’s results in a sound that is effortless and natural.

The bass guitar and banjo are traded back onstage and the crowd lose their collective 2009 minds as they fire up for ‘Little Lion Man’. It’s hard to pick out any trace of the lads’ harmonies over the roaring of the crowd, but when they pause to listen to us sing and we’re left alone with our own voices up close for a second it feels a little less angelic. We’re a much better choir with the strong and sure voices of the Mumford boys leading us through the drawn out melodies. For ‘Ditmas’, Marcus takes his microphone on a tour of the crowd and he weaves around the seated section without missing a note.

They play a song, ‘Darkness Visibile’ and it leans away from the band’s folksy roots to a more synth-heavy, Radiohead-esque vibe but the crowd are loving it just as much. They choose this moment to depart for their ‘encore’ and launch back onstage, crowded around the one microphone.

“This is only going to work if every single one of you out there can shut the f*** up for a minute,” Marcus jokes. “This is a team game here,”. The four guys huddle around each other, forming a sombre, acoustic, barbershop quartet and their harmonies flow around eachother like water. It’s a stunningly beautiful moment amongst thousands of people, under the starry night sky.